Todd Parks profile picture

Todd Parks

Use my profile name to add me. Sorry. Tired of bots.

About Me

Hello and thanks for stopping by! My name is Todd Parks. I have lived in Nashville, TN for three years and I currently reside in East Nashville. I am a professional acoustic and electric bassist. Yep, that's all I do for a living. Playing the bass has taken me all around this world and affords me the opportunity to play alot of music with a bunch of different people, which I love to do! My main gig is playing with dobroist Jerry Douglas. (jerrydouglas.com) It's a wonderful gig and a great bunch of guys to work with. We hit the road pretty hard since the end of April. We were fortunate enough to spend most of the summer and a big chunk of the fall supporting Paul Simon. That was quite the experience in itself. But enough about my profession. There is more about that on the other page: myspace.com/mtparksmusic. Go check that page out if you looking for music stuff. As for the rest of my life, I try to keep it simple. Easier said than done sometimes, but that is what I aspire to. My goal is to live a balanced life. I have a wonderful family and amazing friends in my life and I feel incredibly fortunate to have them. They are kind, loving, supportive, hard worker types that I am lucky enough to be part of their lives. I am a huge fan of the Smoky Mountains and love to go them at every chance I get. Anything else you would like to know, just drop me a line. Thanks!

My Interests

People, music, books, the Smoky Mountains, playing tennis, twisted imagery driven humor, living vicariously through my family and friends with children, and a whole bunch of other stuff.

I'd like to meet:

People who share similar levels of insanity. We are all nuts in someone's eyes. I just like to find the folks that complement my craziness. If what you've read here sounds interesting, I'd probably want to meet you.

Music:

Just about anything! Rock, blues, jazz, funk, punk, country, bluegrass, electronica, fusion, reggae, Latin, pop...the list goes forever! I love so much and love to play it all. I guess I am a musical schizophrenic. I suppose if I had to list specific folks, here's some of the personal favs: Motown! Oscar Peterson Trio, Edgar Meyer, Jerry Douglas (My benevolent employer! How convenient.), Ray Brown, Paul Chambers, Miles Davis, James Taylor, Currently inundated with Paul Simon, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, D'Angelo, Outkast, Metallica, Led Zep, AC/DC, God, that is enough!

Movies:

Blazing Saddles, most Mel Brooks films for that matter Star Wars (all of them,) Standing in the Shadows of Motown

Television:

I try not to watch too much of the stuff, but if I do, it's some news or the History Channel. I prefer books.

Books:

I have been deeply immersed in wisdom literature from across the world since July 2005. Lots of great stuff out there, folks. My reading binge started out as escapism and eventually turned into a personal revamp. Some of my favs through this period include: Napoleon Hill, Stephen Covey, Robert Heinlein, and Emerson. I highly recommend any of these gentlemen's work. "Time Enough for Love" by Heinlein saved my life. Emerson's essay "Compensation" reminded me that karma exists. Hill's "Think and Grow Rich" got me up off the couch again. (Thanks to my father, God rest his soul for having me read that when I was a kid.) Covey reminded me to balance my existence again. Thanks to all of them.

Heroes:

God, Jesus, my parents, my biological and extended family, my friends (same as family as far as I am concerned), and all the kind, cruel, loving, hateful, honest, deceitful, supportive, and insidious people. You all contributed to who I am today. Some more than others. You know who you are.

My Blog

The year gone and the year ahead...

Hello blog readers of the world. January 1st...the perfect time to reflect and dream of things to come. To some people, it's just another day. To others, it's an opportunity to start fresh. Person...
Posted by Todd Parks on Mon, 01 Jan 2007 11:35:00 PST

What I've Learned in 30 Years on Earth

So as my 30th birthday approaches, I sit here on a tour bus. I am out doing what I have always dreamed of. That part is great! It seems like a good time to throw a few tid bits out to wind and hope...
Posted by Todd Parks on Sat, 09 Sep 2006 01:54:00 PST

Life is good...still

Hello, whoever. This is the post-Paul Simon tour recap blog. What can I say about the last five weeks of my life that can express my feelings properly? I'm not sure but I am still going to try. Pr...
Posted by Todd Parks on Tue, 01 Aug 2006 01:31:00 PST

Life is good

So, here I am in Cleveland, Ohio. The other Cleveland. Today is the second day of the Paul Simon tour. It's all incredibly exciting. I wake up every day and I am living my professional life's drea...
Posted by Todd Parks on Thu, 29 Jun 2006 12:01:00 PST